Assigjstoe op o



'2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

(No Model.)

s. ROOKAFELLOW.

GAR STARTER. h

Patnte' 'une Z, 1885.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 S. ROGKAPELLOW.

GAR STARTER. No. 319,029. Patented June 2, 1885.

llNTTEn STATES PATENT @EETTIE.

SAMUEL ROCKAFELLOW, OF MUSOATINE, TOWVA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM G. REEVE, OF PERU, ILLINOIS.

CAR-STARTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 319,029, dated June 2, 1885.

Application filed March 13,1885. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL RocimrnLLow,

a citizen of the United States of America, re-

siding at Muscatine, in the county of Muscatine and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in StreetGar Starters, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to street-car starters in which the draw-bar is connected with a lever geared by a pawl and ratchet-wheel or other suitable mechanism to the axles or wheels of the car, so that the draft-power upon the 1 draw-bar is greatly augmented by lever-power,

and is applied directly in favor of forward rotary movement of the wheels, enabling the car to be easily started. The draft-bar is connected with the clutching mechanism so as to allow suificient forward movement of the bar, before the power is applied to the car, to avoid the usual sudden strain andjerking movement.

Suitable devices are provided for returning the draw-bar and starting mechanism to their ordinaryposition afterthe ear is started, and for locking the bar in position and preventing it from being drawn out too far in the starting operation; and theinvention consists of the construction and combinations of these devices, all as hereinafter fully set forth, and as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the frame and runninggear of a car with my improvements attached. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a section in front of the rear cross-beam of the frame, showinga rear elevation of the starting mechamism.

A designates the car-frame, and B the carwheels.

0 Gisadraw-bar, the forward portion of which is extended under the front crossbeam of the car, and is arranged to reciprocate in a hearing, a, bolted to the under side of the crossbeam. The front end of the draw-bar is provided with a draft ring or hook, b,-and the rear end of the draw-bar is jointed to the up per end of the lever D, the lower end of which is keyed onto one end of the rock-shaft E, which is placed in bearings a on the bar F,

the ends of which bar are bolted to the hangers b, attached to the under side of the side beams of the car-frame.

G is alever, the lower end of which is keyed to the outer end of the rock-shaft.

H is an arm, the forward end of which is jointed to the upper end of the lever G.

K is a ratchet-wheel rigidly attached to one of the axles, or to the hub of one of the wheels of the car.

L is a bifurcated lever provided with the collars 0, extended loosely around the hubs of the ratchet-wheel. The upper portion of this lever is hinged or pivoted to the rear end of the arm H. The lever L is provided with a pivoted pawl, d, constructed and arranged to catch in the teeth of the ratchet-wheel.

M is a spring, one end of which is con nected with the lever L, and the other end is attached to the car-frame, for the purpose of returning the draw bar and connecting devices to their ordinary positions after the car is started.

It is obvious that the invention or the operation of the starter does not depend upon any particularconstruction orlocation of the spring employed to return the draw-bar and devices. Any suitable spring or other device may be employed, and may be located at any desired place. For example, the devices and bar may be returned by means of a weight attached to one of the levers.

N is a spring rod or catch fastened at one end to the front cross-beam of the car-frame in position to spring into a notch, c, in the lower edge of the forward portion of the draw- 5 bar, to hold it in position. The free end of this spring rod is bent upward and extended through the car-floor, and has formed on it a foot-piece, f. The rear portion ofthe connecting-arm H is provided with a lug, h, to catch 9 over an upwardly-inclined lug formed on the pawl cl,to hold it in a disengaged position from the ratchet-wheel when the draw-bar and its connecting devices are in their returned and ordinary position. The draw-bar is provided with stop'lugs d, constructed to catch against the bearing a and stop the forward movement of the bar, to prevent it from being drawn out too far.

I do not limit my invention to the particutoo 'may be applied directly in favor of the forward rotary movement of the wheels.

The operation of my improved car-starter is as follows: In all cases when the car is to be started, except on a downgrade, as soon as the brakes are loosened the driver places his foot upon the foot-piece f of the spring-rod N, pressing it downward out of the notch in the draw-bar, thus releasing it, and then the draft of the horse or horses upon the draw-bar moves it forward, which moves the levers and rockshaft, and throws the draft entirely upon the ratchet-lever, the forward movement of which releases the pawl cl from the lug h on the arm H, and allows the pawl to drop into the teeth of the ratchet-wheel. The draft, greatly increased in its power by the lever, is thus transferred to the car wheel or axle to which the ratchet-wheel is rigidly attached, and the car is thus easily started,and the usual sudden jerk is entirely avoided by the forward movement of the draw-bar before the pawl engages the ratchet-wheel and the draft is applied to the car-wheel, and then the increased power obtained by the levers enables the horse or horses to start the car without any severe strain upon them.

Having described my invention, I claim as new- The principle of the 1. In a car-starter, the combination, with the rock-shaft E,placed in bearings under the car-floor, the levers D G, rigidly attachedto the ends of the rock-shaft, the ratchet-wheel i K, attached to an axle or a hub of one of the wheels of the car, the bifurcated lever L, provided with a pawl, b, and having collars 0 extended loosely around the ratchet-wheelhubs,

and the connecting-arm H, jointed to thelevers i G and L, of the draw-barf), having its lower end connected with the lever D, and means,

herein set forth, for locking and unlocking the draw-bar, and for returning the bar and con-' necting devices to their ordinary position, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a car-starter, the combination, with the rock-shaft E, the levers D G, the connectingarm H, the bifurcated lever L, provided with the pawlfd, andthe draw-bar O,provided with the notch 2, of the spring-rod N,extended upward and provided with the foot-piece. f,

substantiallyas and for the purposes described. .7

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL ROCKAFELLOW.

Witnesses:

H. A. DANIELS, BENJ. J. WrLLrAMs. 

